Vacuum sweeper



Jam RU 198,

Cf. 114v VACUUM SWEEPER Filed July 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

WITNESSES: I j @@2V;% CriBSYTIQII Aaborc]. XF/W A d X Patented Jan. 10,1928.

CHRISTIAN AALBORG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANLA.

VACUUM SWEEPER.

Application filed July 14,

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and it has special relation tothe typeadapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned by theoperator, more particularly illustratt ed and described in my'copendingapplication Serial No. 652,684 filed July 20, 1923.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an arrangementfor keeps ing clean the filter which removes dirt and l impurities fromthe air that is circulated through the cleaner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement forconducting air from a fan to a filter having a raised porlo tion and aninclined surface for shedding dirt deposited in the the cleaner.

Another object of the invention is the ar ranging of operative partsexteriorly of the W casing in order that they may not be contaminated bythe dirt in the air drawn through the casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a housing exteriorly ofthe casing for M a drive shaft for rotating a cleaning brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust chamber about a fanfor the option of dirt in theair impelled by the 'ann.

W A further object of the invention is to provide a dust receptaclehaving a filter therein for cleanin the air.

still further ohject of the invention is to provide a pan having a dustchamber therein and a passage way for air below the chamber, Y

1 @ther objects will appear as the descrip tion proceeds.

Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of myinvention;

gig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof; on

igu 3 is a l plan view thereof Referring to 1, a casing comprises a hood11, a dome 12 and a pan or dust receptacle 13. The front wall 14 of thehood if user es with a top wall 15 thereof by a gradua curve, andlikewise a partition 16 merges with lower wall 17 of the hood] The frontwall it andpartition 16 extend the entire width of the hood between sidewalls 18 and 20 thereof (Fig. 3) thus defining a suction nozzle whichterminates near the bottom of the hood and also communicates with an aira 11- 21 formed between the side passage of air through til 1923. SerialNo. 651,529..

walls 18 and 20, top wall 15 and lower Wall 17.

An opening 22 provided. in the top wall 31 extending longitudinally ofthe hood and passing through hole 32 in the dome 12.

The shaft 31 is covered by a housing 33 which is arcuate in crosssection and provided with flanges 34 with which screws 35 cooperate tosecure the housing to the top wall 15 of the hood. A plug 36 is threadedin the front end of the housing 33, and constitutes a bearing for thefront end of shaft 31. A worm 37 is rigid with shaft 25 and meshes witha worm gear 38 that is mounted on the rear end of shaft 31. Formed onshaft 31, adjacent to the front end thereof, is a Worm 4:1 meshing witha worm gear on a vertical shaft 43 that is enveloped by sleeve 1 iforming an upper bearing 45 and a lower bearing 46 for the shaft 43m Aspiral gear 47 is provided on the lower end of vertical shaft 43 to meshwith spiral gear 48 carried by brush 50..

One end of brush 50 has a recess therein receiving a ball bearing 51 andthe end of a stub shaft 52 which also is provided with a recess toreceive the ball bearing 51.. The stub shaft is rigid with roller 53 andproj'ects on both sides thereof, the outer end a being journaled forrotation in side wall 20 of the 'hood. The other end of brush 50 isrovidedwith a similar recess with which all bearing 5st and stub shaft55 cooperate A roller 56 is mounted upon the stub shaft 55 which isjournaled in side wall 18. The brush 50 is thus supported at its ends bythe stub shafts 52 and 55..

The drive shaft 25 extends downwardly through air channel 2i. and anorifice 6d in the lower wall 17 of the hood and is com nected to asubstantially horizontal fan 6i that is provided with a plurality ofradial blades 62 formed integral with a horizontal deflector 63. A.cylindrical :1 6t deill) l lld pends from lower wall 17 and surroundsthe fan blades 62. A plurality of radial scrapers 65 are formedintegrally with deflector 63 and depend therebelow projecting laterallytherefrom and extending beyond the ends of the fan blades 62.

The dust pan 13 is provided with a flange 66 along its upper ed eengaging flange 67 extending outwardly rom the hood 11. The pan 13 isdetachable from the hood by a plurality of latches each of whichcomprlses a hook 68 formed on the hood 11, a cooperating loop 70 and alug 71 formed on pan 13. The loop 70 is pivotall carried by a lever 72rotating on a pin 3 mounted in lug 71. In locking position, the pin 73is disposed beyond the loop 70 thereby retaining the lever substantiallyin engagement with the wall of the pan.

The pan is provided with a bottom wall 74 and a horizontal partition75which constitutes the bottom ofa dust chamber 76. A conical filter 77 ofwire screen is secured by screws 78 to partition 75 and has its apexupwardly disposed in line with-the axis of shaft 25, the filter beingimmediately under the scrapers 65 which are inclined upwardly alongtheir lower edges towards the center of the fan to conform to thesurface of the filter with which they engage. The apex of the screen ismaintained in position by a support 79 extending upwardly from thebottom 74 of the pan. Betweenpartition 75 and bottom 74, a passageway 80is provided leading to a nozzle 81 surrounding brush 50.

A guard 82 is formed on thepan 13 to house a roller 83 therein, theroller constituting the rear support for the machine.

A pair of trunnlons 84 are provided on the sides of'the hood 11 uponwhich a pair of arms 85 are pivoted, said arms terminating in ahandle'86 for the use of the operator. V

In the operation of the device, the actuation of the motor rotatesarmature shaft 25 which, through worm 37, worm gear 38, horizontal shaft31, worm 41, worm gear 42, vertical shaft 43, and spiral gears 47 and 48rotates the brush 50 so that the bristles thereof engage the surface tobe cleaned.

Simultaneously, the fan 61 is rotated by armature shaft 25 and a suctionis produced which causes a reduction of pressure in air channel 21 andorifice to cause the induction of air through the air channel andorifice to the fan 61. y

The air passes. downwardly among the blades 62 o the fan and is. forcedradially, outwardly by the deflector 63, within the limits of the.cylindrical guide 64. The current of air continues downwardly throughthe screen 77.

When the air passes through the screen the dust and dirt carried therebyare deposited on the screen. The scrapers passing along the surface ofthe screen remove the dust and dirt therefrom and push them outwardlyinto the dust chamber 76. The simultaneous scraping and centrifugalaction of the scrapers cooperate to effect this result. The conicalshape of the screen assists in the operation as it tends to shed thedirt which falls downwardly along its surface through gravitationalaction. The screen 77, therefore, is always maintained clean permittingthe air to pass readily therethrough so that there is no clogging of themeshes nor retardation of the sucking and impelling action of the fan.The air passing downwardly from the screen moves forwardly throughpassage 80 and is discharged at nozzle 81 adjacent to the brush 50. Herethe air assists in the cleansing action of the brush, and also to cleanthe bristles of the brush. Some of the air may be drawn inwardly intothe suction nozzle.

The casing is moved freely over the floor on the rollers 53, 56 and 83.

When it is desired to clean the dust chamber 76, the pan 13 is removedby moving the levers 72 outwardly. After the loops have passed beyondthe pins 73 they tend to move the levers farther outwardly. The loopsare then disengaged from the hooks 68, leaving the pan free to beremoved from the hood. The dirt ma be shaken out of the dust pan 76 andt e pan again positioned under the hood. The loops 70 are reengaged overthe hooks on the hood and the levers 72 are pushed downwardly till theloops pass beyond the pins 73.

The invention is capable of extensive variation and modification and isnot limited to the details of construction illustrated and described. Asubstantial range of equivalents within the spirit and scope of theappended claims is contemplated.

-I claim as my invention:

5 1. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing, a fan for forcingair therethrough a filter for cleaning the air, means for guiding theair from said fan to said filter and a scraper on said fan for cleaningsaid filter.

2. In a. vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing, an air channelextendingthrough the casing, a fan and filter disposed in the airchannel and a wi er carried by the fan for sweeping the ter when thecleaner is in operation.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casin an air channel in thecasing, a. fan and ter disposed in the air channel, a wiper carried bythe fan for sweeping the filter when the c eaner is in operation andmeans interposed between the fan and filter for deflecting the airstream.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination,

a casing, an air channel extending through the casmg, a fan forcirculating an air stream ncaaoer through said air channel, a filter torcleaning the air stream a Wiper carried by the tan tor sweeping thefilter, a dust pan carried by the casing and disposed to receiveparticles swept from the filter, said pan being adapted to support thefilter,

5. in a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a casing, an air channelextending through the casing, a tan for circulating an air streamthrough said channel, a filter for cleaning the air stream asitcirculates, a Wiper carried by the tan and filter to prevent the airstream from impinging directly on the filter and a dust pan carried bythe casing and disposed to receive particles swept from the filter.

6. in a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a casing, an air channelextending through the casing, a fan for circulatin an air stream throughsaid channel, a lter for cleaning the air stream, said filter beingdisposed in alinementivvith the tan, a dust pan I carried by the casingand disposed toreceive particles collected from the air stream, saidfilter being supported by the dust pan and means carried by the fan fordeflecting the air stream to prevent it from impinging directly on thefilter.

7. ln a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a casing, an air channelextending through the casing, a fan for circulating anair stream throughsaid channel, a filter for cleaning the air stream, said filter beingdisposed to receive particles collected from the air stream, said filterbeing supported by the dust pan and means carried by the tan fordeflecting the air stream to prevent it trom impinging directly on thefilter, and a vviper for sweeping the filter carried by the tan.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this '?th dayoi July, 1923.,

